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Good Restaurants In The Woodlands

KatieDidIt

By KatieDidIt
in Points North

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KatieDidIt

KatieDidIt

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Please list any wonderful, NON-CHAIN, restaurants in the Woodlands Area. I so miss that about the city.

We have found Ranchero on FM2978. Great "hole in the wall Mexican" food.

And La Tovola in Tomball, 5 star Italian.

But that seems to be all we can find. Any suggestions. Family and adult style recommendations welcome.

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jpcampbell

jpcampbell

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The Amerigos in town is good, but I haven't been to this one. Perry's was fair, but its a chain.

Red Phoenix- might have to give that a try.

Perry's has a great Pork Chop.

Most of the good ones are on the feeder of I-45 and near Oak Ridge or Rayford/Sawdust.

There is a good mexican place the other side of 45 on Rayford. It's in the shopping center with the Fish Market. I've only had one dish there. The Thursday special, which is Caldo de Pollo (Chicken Soup). It's awesome. I can't speak for any other dish. I think it's called Mario's.

Also, there is ShadeTree BBQ. Turn left at the next light going East on Rayford. It looks like the Boonies, but a little shack is on the right. Good BBQ sandwiches.

Also, good BBQ is Pit Master on Sawdust. Pulled Pork is to die for.

Black Walnut is good on Research.

Most of the Chinese that I have had is mediocre, but TaiPei (I-45 feeder) is good.

Sitar Indian is good on the feeder of I-45.

Thai Ocha on sawdust is good. I've had a number of good dishes there.

Also, 1488 has some great hole in the wall/ground bbq pits.

jpc

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pineda

pineda

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I'm sorry you outright exclude chain restaurants, because with the big money coming from corporate, they are usually able to maintain a consistency with product and atmosphere that mom and pop joints sometimes struggle with.

That being said, I'd heartily recommend Chili's for reasons listed above, plus they are always adding new and interesting items to their menus on a regular basis.

I also really like Tin Star, a fledgling Tex-Mex joint in Pinecroft Center with unique items I haven't seen on other menus.

Macaroni Grill has some outstanding Italian food, too.

Best Indian in TW, the Sitar on the feeder road.

The best seafood can be found at I-45 and Rayford at (I forget the name...) Woodlands Seafood Market, right off Rayford, to the east side.

My favorite restaurant of all in TW, though, would be Mi Luna. I've been many times now, never disappointed, has an endless combination of choices of tapas.

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jpcampbell

jpcampbell

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I'm sorry you outright exclude chain restaurants, because with the big money coming from corporate, they are usually able to maintain a consistency with product and atmosphere that mom and pop joints sometimes struggle with.

That being said, I'd heartily recommend Chili's for reasons listed above, plus they are always adding new and interesting items to their menus on a regular basis.

I also really like Tin Star, a fledgling Tex-Mex joint in Pinecroft Center with unique items I haven't seen on other menus.

Macaroni Grill has some outstanding Italian food, too.

Best Indian in TW, the Sitar on the feeder road.

The best seafood can be found at I-45 and Rayford at (I forget the name...) Woodlands Seafood Market, right off Rayford, to the east side.

My favorite restaurant of all in TW, though, would be Mi Luna. I've been many times now, never disappointed, has an endless combination of choices of tapas.

Can you get cooked seafood at the Seafood Market? It's great for fresh cuts of fish and crab to take home. Plus the staff is wonderful and will help you make your purchase based on whatever you are trying to accomplish with your meal.

I agree with the chain thing too. They grew to chains because they were either really cheap (McDonalds) or consistently good Let me add Los Cucos in Panther Creek as a quality chain. Chuy's is still my favorite place of all time. Roasted Chicken Sopapillas or Burritos with green chile sauce was a staple for me in College.

And I can't let a work week go by without getting lasagna from Spaghetti Warehouse.

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KatieDidIt

KatieDidIt

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Chains are fine for day to day "make do" dining, I was just looking for places that are DIFFERENT.

Los Cucos is good, but then we found Rancheros! YUM!

I just think individually owned place have more character and flavor, and I just wanted to now where they are. ;)

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pineda

pineda

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There's a very busy little sushi/sashimi place in the HEB shopping center at Woodlands Parkway and Kuykendahl, just down the strip from Mi Luna. It's always busy and looks like fun. I see it as I hurry over to Mi Luna...

Maybe when I get tired of Mi Luna, I'll go check it out! :lol:

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KatieDidIt

KatieDidIt

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There's a very busy little sushi/sashimi place in the HEB shopping center at Woodlands Parkway and Kuykendahl, just down the strip from Mi Luna. It's always busy and looks like fun. I see it as I hurry over to Mi Luna...

Maybe when I get tired of Mi Luna, I'll go check it out! :lol:

Is that the Topas bar that goes for 13 bucks a pop? It folded in West U. I wonder how its going to make it in the sticks?

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  • 1 month later...
pineda

pineda

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Is that the Topas bar that goes for 13 bucks a pop? It folded in West U. I wonder how its going to make it in the sticks?

I don't think it folded. Another place nearby called La Pita, did fold however.

Youssef Nafaa created Mi Luna, Mia Bella, Saffron and Cava Bistro.

He's done very well for himself, considering how young he is (about 30?).

We love the Mi Luna in the woodlands area of sterling ridge, and have good things about the others, just haven't tried them out yet.

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  • 4 months later...
bachanon

bachanon

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the woodlands' first vietnamese restaurant is opening soon on sawdust road. the name is pho be. i'm hoping that they have the delicious vietnamese egg rolls and bo luc lac i'm familiar with from midtown. it is right next door to kremi cafe (i don't know anything about this new restaurant). if, at least, the pho (soup) is good it will be an improvement to my dining experiences around here.

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nmainguy

nmainguy

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Please list any wonderful, NON-CHAIN, restaurants in the Woodlands Area. I so miss that about the city.

We have found Ranchero on FM2978. Great "hole in the wall Mexican" food.

And La Tovola in Tomball, 5 star Italian.

But that seems to be all we can find. Any suggestions. Family and adult style recommendations welcome.

Huh? You chose to live in the Woodlands area. What did you expect? Niko Niko's? It's a white-bread land of blandness.

Accept or get out.

B)

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bachanon

bachanon

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yes, it totally sucks to eat at rockfish, p.f.changs, cheesecake factory, chuys, perry's, mi luna, the woodlands' resort, berryhill, cafe express, grotto, la madelin (sp?), tommy bahama's (love that goat cheese), amerigos, kirby's steakhouse, thai ocha, kobe steakhouse, sitar, (recently) nit noi and beck's prime all the time. my complaint is that there hasn't been any vietnamese food. it's not that i don't have a plethora of options.

god, you inner loopers can be so snobby. ok, i'll admit i'd like a barnaby's and a zimm's up here...but it doesn't suck to live here.

we used to drive to the galleria on a special occasion to take someone to the cheesecake factory. now, it's a regular occurance. it's somewhat strange to be in close proximity to so much good food.

i do love mark's on westheimer. i've never eaten food that brought me so close to.......physical pleasure(?). ;) in fact, i could equate the dining experience at mark's with a really good sin.

but, making plans to "drive" to houston to eat at a place as special as mark's makes it even more of an experience. if it was next door, it would become less of an event.

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RedScare

RedScare

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god, you inner loopers can be so snobby. ok, i'll admit i'd like a barnaby's and a zimm's up here...but it doesn't suck to live here.

Excuse me? That post was a response to a Woodlands resident's claim that there are no good independents out there. You should read the original post before attacking the reponse.

It is good that you enjoy it out there. If what the Woodlands has to offer appealed to me, I would have stayed there. It doesn't, so I didn't. My decision to move has nothing to do with your decision to stay...but, it still is a chain restaurant mecca, even if you do like the chains.

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KatieDidIt

KatieDidIt

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yes, it totally sucks to eat at rockfish, p.f.changs, cheesecake factory, chuys, perry's, mi luna, the woodlands' resort, berryhill, cafe express, grotto, la madelin (sp?), tommy bahama's (love that goat cheese), amerigos, kirby's steakhouse, thai ocha, kobe steakhouse, sitar, (recently) nit noi and beck's prime all the time. my complaint is that there hasn't been any vietnamese food. it's not that i don't have a plethora of options.

god, you inner loopers can be so snobby. ok, i'll admit i'd like a barnaby's and a zimm's up here...but it doesn't suck to live here.

we used to drive to the galleria on a special occasion to take someone to the cheesecake factory. now, it's a regular occurance. it's somewhat strange to be in close proximity to so much good food.

i do love mark's on westheimer. i've never eaten food that brought me so close to.......physical pleasure(?). ;) in fact, i could equate the dining experience at mark's with a really good sin.

but, making plans to "drive" to houston to eat at a place as special as mark's makes it even more of an experience. if it was next door, it would become less of an event.

I wouldn't complain if a Mark's type restuarant opened up here!! That way I could have 2 or 3 glasses of wine and not fall asleep on the way home. For some reason hubby gets all depressed when that happens :blink: I never got tired of having the best close by. Also, you could always get in to one of the great ones on any given night.

La Tovla in Tomball is very heavy and wonderful 5 star Italian with the hefty price tag, but the atmosphere BITES. And that is part of the dining experience for me.

As to the Woodlands being totally white and or white-bred...This is most diverse street I have ever lived on. People from different nationalities, color and backgrounds. Tanglewood was totally white, old Houston and all went to High School and UT together. I think there were two Houses off the Boulevard that were a South American Family, but that was IT! So, there are pockets of Houston that are certainly whiter than The Woodlands will ever be.

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nmainguy

nmainguy

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yes, it totally sucks to eat at rockfish, p.f.changs, cheesecake factory, chuys, perry's, mi luna, the woodlands' resort, berryhill, cafe express, grotto, la madelin (sp?), tommy bahama's (love that goat cheese), amerigos, kirby's steakhouse, thai ocha, kobe steakhouse, sitar, (recently) nit noi and beck's prime all the time. my complaint is that there hasn't been any vietnamese food. it's not that i don't have a plethora of options.

god, you inner loopers can be so snobby. ok, i'll admit i'd like a barnaby's and a zimm's up here...but it doesn't suck to live here.

we used to drive to the galleria on a special occasion to take someone to the cheesecake factory. now, it's a regular occurance. it's somewhat strange to be in close proximity to so much good food.

i do love mark's on westheimer. i've never eaten food that brought me so close to.......physical pleasure(?). ;) in fact, i could equate the dining experience at mark's with a really good sin.

but, making plans to "drive" to houston to eat at a place as special as mark's makes it even more of an experience. if it was next door, it would become less of an event.

...and yet the topic is regarding non-chain restaurants...

B)

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ConstructionManagerMAS

ConstructionManagerMAS

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Katie,

I have noticed that you Woodlands people have started going to Rancheros on 2978. There's even a line now sometimes (darnit).

I new Japanese place called Kobuto (sp?) also opened on 1488 west of 2978 a couple of weeks ago. It replaced another Japanese place that was there recently. We'll see if this one lasts. The food was pretty good.

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KatieDidIt

KatieDidIt

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Katie,

I have noticed that you Woodlands people have started going to Rancheros on 2978. There's even a line now sometimes (darnit).

I new Japanese place called Kobuto (sp?) also opened on 1488 west of 2978 a couple of weeks ago. It replaced another Japanese place that was there recently. We'll see if this one lasts. The food was pretty good.

yup and we still go after I found a big chunk of glass in my mouth while eating Queso Del Mar. Shows you how desperate I am. :blink:

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  • 2 months later...
bachanon

bachanon

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A Russian restaurant opens in The Woodlands. Has anyone tried this yet?

Authentic Russian Restaurant is Delicious and Informative

By: SUSAN SUMMERS, Contributing

Each night it's the same question: "What to do about dinner?"

There's always Mexican food, Chinese take-out and of course, the old stand-by, pizza delivery. But next time, how about thinking Russian?

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